Southern Roads Reopen, No Infiltration Detected

IDF suspected a second infiltration from Gaza but is now certain this did not happen. Some 40 rockets fired at Israel Thursday afternoon.

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Ido Ben Porat, 17/07/14 17:07

Soldiers prepare for battle.

Reuters

Roads in southern Israel were closed off to traffic Thursday afternoon following a suspected terrorist infiltration, but they were reopened around 5:30 p.m. when it was acertained that this was a false alarm.

Highway 25 from east to west, which was closed near Be'er Sheva, has been reporned. So has Road 241 at Ofakim, Highway 40 in Dimona and Highway 4.

Between 3:00 p.m. and 4:30, Hamas fired some 40 rockets at Israel, mostly at the Ashkelon, Hof Ashkelon and Eshkol regions.

Rocket attacks continued into the evening. Three rockets were intercepted over the Greater Tel Aviv area.

The IDF released a video Thursday morning detailing an attempt by Hamas terrorists to conduct a major terror attack in Israel by infiltrating through a Gaza terror tunnel. The 13 terrorists involved in the attempted attack were apparently surprised that they were being observed by Israeli soldiers, an IDF official said, and attempted to return to Gaza via the tunnel, at which point an Israel Air Force plane destroyed the entrance to the tunnel.

In the early morning hours of Thursday, the army said, IDF soldiers identified a group of 13 terrorists attempting to enter Israel via a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip. The tunnel was one of several the IDF had recently uncovered that were to be used to smuggle terrorists into Israeli cities.

IDF soldiers attacked the group. Several of the terrorists were killed on the spot. The tunnel has been destroyed, as well. In a statement, Hamas accepted responsibility for the attempted attack, claiming that “all its operatives had returned safely.”

An IDF spokesperson said that the army had prior knowledge that the terror attempt would take place, and was ready for the group.